Granite and Marble Do's and Don'ts

Following the basic do's and don'ts of granite and marble care will extend the natural life
of your granite and marble products and will provide many years of beautiful service.

Do’s

Dust surfaces frequently with a soft clean cloth.

“Blot” up spills immediately (don't rub), before they penetrate the granite or marble surface.

Clean kitchen tops with a few drops of pH balanced dishwashing liquid and warm water. Rinse
after washing and dry completely with a soft, clean cloth to avoid streaks (too much soap
may also leave a film and cause streaks).

Wipe your kitchen top as soon as possible when it came into contact with cooking oil. While
stains are rare, they are caused most frequently by cooking oil.

Remove a stain on granite or marble, with a mixture (paste) of one cup flour, 1-2 tablespoons pH balanced
dishwashing liquid (or hydrogen peroxide for oil based stains) with water to make a fairly
thick paste (just so it doesn’t run), like peanut butter. If it’s too thick it will take a
long time to dry.

Clean the stained area with distilled water & pH dishwashing liquid. Remember to “blot” rather
than wipe. Then rinse, but don’t dry.

Apply the paste to the stained area with a plastic spatula, overlapping the stain by at least
a ¼ and avoiding air pockets.

Cover the paste with plastic wrap & tape around the edges of the plastic using painters
tape (don’t use regular masking tape, it’s too sticky). Let it sit for 24 hours or until thoroughly
dry.

Remove the plastic cover and check to see if the paste has dried. If it has not, allow it
to sit uncovered until thoroughly dry. Once it is dry, remove the paste by scraping with a
wooden or plastic spatula, or debit card, and rinse the area with distilled water and dry
with a soft cloth.

Examine the stain. If it remains, but is somewhat lighter, re-process up to five more
times.

Scrape off a hard substance stuck to the granite and marble surface, and lime build up, by gently scraping with
a hard and thin object like a debit card or single sided razor blade.

Don’ts

Do not leave acidic liquids (vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, lime juice, soft drinks &
wine) on granite or marble for long, as they can etch the surface and dull the finish. Polished
kitchen tops are rather delicate and must be treated with more care.

Do not use cleaners containing bleach, ammonia, acid or alkaline such as bathroom, grout or
abrasive cleaners (liquid or powder), lime removers, or tub and tile cleaners.

Do not use any generic cleaning product on your natural stone, unless the label specifies
that it’s safe to use on natural granite and marble.

Do not use scouring powders/creams; these products contain abrasives that may scratch the
surface.

Do not store bottles of cooking oil directly on your granite or marble kitchen top.

Do not store metal pots and pans on your kithen tops either, as rust can stain the stone.
The sealer is not a waterproofing agent. If your stone darkens when it is wet do not be alarmed.
It will return to its original color when the water evaporates.

Do not slide appliances, utensils, pots and pans on polished granite or marble, they may scratch
the polished surface.

Do not apply stone sealers that don't penetrate the stone, these harsh solvents are hard to
remove eventually.